Buffalo comes up empty-handed

The Patriots were trailing, 17-7, and the visiting Buffalo Bills appeared ready to deliver the knockout punch during yesterday’s season-opener at Gillette Stadium.

The Bills took the opening kick of the second half and drove to the New England 7-yard line. They were then faced with a fourth-down decision. Kick a field or go for the first down.

“I knew they were going for it,” safety Rodney Harrison said. “They had momentum and they had the opportunity to stick it to us. Why not?”

The Bills did indeed go for it. And they got nothing.

Running back Willis McGahee headed over right tackle, but didn’t get anywhere as linebacker Don Davis made a tide-turning stop for no gain.

“It was a good job by the defensive line,” Davis said. “They kept everybody off of me; all I had to do was make the tackle.”

It was a simple explanation for what Davis considered to be a simple play.

“It’s just us against them,” the 11-year veteran said. “And whoever is going to hold up, that’s what it’s going to be.”

The Patriots outgained (204-5) and outscored (12-0) the Bills from that point on as they seized momentum.

“We wanted to make a statement,” Davis said. “We didn’t start out playing as well as we’d like to, but that was a critical point in the game. If you can make those plays at critical points it gives your offense and your team a chance to win.”

Davis, a special teams stalwart, stepped in and stepped it up in the absence of Tedy Bruschi. He was in on two tackles, which is one less than he made all of last season.

In a move that wasn’t the least bit surprising, the Patriots cut loose Jonathan Smith prior to the game and replaced him with Childress.

Smith was signed last Sunday after being released by the Bills. The general consensus was the receiver was only brought in to have his brain picked on all things Buffalo.

With Chad Jackson and Doug Gabriel sitting out and Deion Branch holding out, Reche Caldwell, Troy Brown and Bam Childress were the only receivers available. That didn’t keep the Patriots from using a three-receiver set, although it was often tight end Benjamin Watson who was lined up wide.

Brown had a pair of 9-yard receptions. Caldwell caught passes for 24 and 9 yards.

Rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski passed another test, this one in a game that counts, when he cleanly booted the only field goal he attempted.

Gostkowski connected from 32 yards out, tying the score with 9:33 to play. It wasn’t exactly a cash-money kick, but the youngster continues to earn his pay.

“Any kick feels important to make,” he said. “When other people look at it, they say there’s some pressure, but it’s all the same to me.”

The comebacks of veterans Dan Koppen and Harrison appear to be complete.

Harrison was substituted for on occasion, but other than that it was business as usual.

“I feel good,” Harrison said after playing in his first game (that matters) since blowing out his knee a year ago this month in Pittsburgh.

Koppen, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Miami in November, started and went the distance.

“That was expected,” the fourth-year center said. “I felt good going into the game, I felt like my conditioning was up so I wasn’t really worried about being taken out. I felt like I could handle the load.”

For the second straight year, linebacker Tedy Bruschi sat out the opener for health reasons.

Bruschi missed the first seven games in ’05 while recovering from a stroke. He was inactive yesterday due to a broken right wrist that has yet to fully heal.

Bruschi returned to practice Thursday for the first time since July 31, wearing a removable cast. He also practiced Friday.

One of the brighter spots yesterday was the Patriots only having one penalty.

Caldwell picked up the flag, which came early in the first quarter.

“Only had one penalty? Naw, I didn’t know that,” Caldwell said while playing along. “That’s good, that’s always good. You know what, I think that was on me. That’s not good.

“We had 12 men in the huddle. I was the 12th man in the huddle. I wasn’t supposed to be in there, so that’s not good.”

The Patriots are 10-2 in their last 12 home openers. … The franchise has reached the .500 mark, its overall record now 356-356-9. … The New England offense played better in the second half, which coincided with Buffalo not having linebacker Takeo Spikes and safety Troy Vincent due to injury.

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